Flipflops From the Dollar Store
by mystic-angel1
Summary: Yuriku, others If you’ve ever noticed a person who you’ve had memorized for years, you know that it’s a strange feeling. It’s even stranger if you’ve been doing it more and more lately, and Yuffie had.
1. Sunday: Part 1

_ Flipflops From the Dollar Store_

Notes: Hi everybody! For those of you who have read this over already, I'm sorry for the late explanation. If you were confused, I hope this might help clear things up a little! "Flipflops From the Dollar Store" is a story based of an RP between me and Annjirika. As such, there might be relationships between different characters that will confuse you because we developed them primarily in the RP. I'll try and help you out a little!

This story is about a group of friends on their highschool graduation trip (although its not neccesarily a Highschool fic. xD). The RP begins with these characters in college. Yuffie and Riku are best friends who are tipping towards being more. That's the relationship I meant to explore in this fic; Yuffie and Riku beginning to notice that they might be looking a little too long at each other. However, they're both in other relationships. That's why the genre of this fic is friendship/romance, as opposed to just romance. Hopefully, this will all become more clear as I write more...and if not, I hope you'll enjoy the story anyway!

P.S. Annjirika rocks my socks. It is my intention to kill her with this fic. I hope I don't go to jail if I succeed.

Chapter One:

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_Sunday, March 15__th__, 2004. 9:32 AM._

Yuffie Kisragi was hesitant as she gathered her things. Her carry-on bad had slid under the seat…she couldn't find her wallet…there were too many people reaching into the overhead compartments. The plane had only just landed and its passengers were eager to leave, pushing and shoving down the central aisle, gabbing noisily. Yuffie _was_ excited, but it had been a twelve hour flight and she was tired. Maybe it was possible for her to lose him in the crowd…maybe…

"Yuffie!" Riku, tall and grinning, all but launched himself over his seat to reach her. Yuffie scowled to herself, pondering secretly if Riku had suspected she would try to avoid him. "Do you know where we are? Do you? I think you don't because you're wearing your grumpy face."

"There's no grumpy face," Yuffie replied, daring him to oppose her with a glare. Riku was incorrigible, though, and she knew that he knew that she knew that, and forgave him for it. Most of the time. "Rikuuu. I'm tired."

"So I'll carry your bag for you and then you may be free to be excited. Like me." Riku winked and grabbed Yuffie's carry-on from her hands. They'd been friends long enough that Riku _knew_ he had to be quick to get _anything_ out of Yuffie's grip if she didn't want to give it to you. He pulled it over his shoulder, and Yuffie noted with amusement how much larger his bag was compared to hers.

"You're so gay," she teased, poking Riku's bag. "Whatcha got in there? A super jumbo mega box of tampons?"

"I need certain things to be comfortable," Riku sniffed, pushing her forward by the shoulders. "My entire collection of porn mags, for example."

"You're gross and gay," Yuffie turned, following Garnet Bloom up the aisle. "And I can't be excited like you. It's impossible."

She was saved from Riku's reply when the pair of them reached the front of the plane and met up with Selphie. The animated brunette was already in shorts and a halter top, sunglasses perched over her pig tails. She shrieked at them happily, grabbing Yuffie's hand, who grinned. Yuffie was a little more willing to encourage Selphie than Riku. Together, they waited out the end of the line and thanked the attendant. Selphie laughed as Riku nearly launched himself down the stairs.

"Whoa, aloha!" he yelled, ecstatic. Yuffie could see his tanned—even during TraverseTown's notoriously cold winters—arms and freckles and bright, bright hair in the sun, and noticed him. If you've ever noticed a person who you've had memorized for years, you know that it's a strange feeling. It's even stranger if you've been doing it more and more lately, and Yuffie had. "Yuffie, my gorgeous, best friend of friends. Where are we?"

"We're in Mexico," she responded, weirded out (by herself) into obedience. She allowed Riku to pick her up and swing her around once she reached the bottom of the stairs. "And it's hot. And you're sweaty and gross. Put me down."

Riku squeezed her waist and smiled up at her. Yuffie blamed her sudden breathing problems on the heat.

"Riku!" Reno crowed from the top of the stairs, startling both of them. Riku set Yuffie on her feet and turned, waving his arms wildly at the red head. "Do you know where we are, baby cakes?"

"I swear he gets queerer every time I look at him," Seifer muttered, appearing at Yuffie's side from nowhere. He set his bag down at Yuffie's feet and paused to swipe his sweaty hair back. Yuffie sighed with relief, taking her boyfriend's hand. Seifer was just as tired as she was, and they both hated the heat. He was a lot easier to deal with than Riku

"Who?" Selphie inquired with her mean face on. "Your reflection in the mirror?"

"Hey, Selphie," Seifer smirked. She was his favorite person to make fun of in person. "How's your mom?"

Yuffie sighed. Maybe not after all.

_Sunday, March 15__th__, 2004. 2:08 PM._

Yuffie wasn't awoken by the sound of the door being knocked, but by Seifer's irritated growl in her ear as the door was pounded again and again. They were tangled in the blankets, Seifer having stolen all the pillows for himself. Blearily, Yuffie glanced at the clock. They'd only been napping for two hours.

"You gonna answer the door?" Seifer mumbled, blinking green eyes open and quickly shutting them again.

"Why would I do something like that?" Yuffie closed her eyes again, too, poking his leg with her toe. "That's your job."

"S'not."

"Is."

"S'not."

"Is."

"Kisaragi, don't make me hurt you."

Yuffie sighed and pushed the blankets off her legs, ignoring Seifer's smug look at having won the argument. Yuffie would be disgruntled but not surprised to find her best friend at the door. She knew what Seifer was like when he was sleepy, and much as Riku was being a pest (probably on purpose), she didn't want him to get his face smashed in.

"Whaaaaat?" she yelled through the door, provoking an irritated grunt from Seifer on the bed. "Riku, if this is you, prepare your face to be smashed in!"

There was a brief pause in the knocking, and then it resumed twice as forcefully.

"Don't hurt me. This face costs thousands of dollars." Riku threw his hands over his face as Yuffie threw open the door. Yuffie wasn't amused. She wished Riku wouldn't grin like that. "Babe, what are you doing sleeping?"

"Fuck off, fairy man."

All the mirth left Riku's face and he glowered over Yuffie's shoulder, as if expecting Seifer to get up and appear there. There was no love lost between Seifer and Riku. Yuffie and her friend had barreled through the biggest fight they'd ever had, over her boyfriend. But that had been months ago, and Yuffie knew that Riku would behave himself better now. Or at least not say anything.

"We're sleeping because we're tired," Yuffie explained, stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind her. Their resort was filled entirely with high school and college students celebrating their graduation, and the hallways already smelled like booze and puke.

Riku rolled his eyes. "You have to get used to the time difference," he advised. "You'll just be tired all the time if you sleep now."

"You're probably right," Yuffie nodded, and stretched. "But I don't care. I'm tired now, so I sleep now."

Yuffie stilled when she noticed Riku's eyes linger on her briefly exposed stomach. "What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms over herself. That gaze had left a flash of heat in her that had nothing to do with being in Mexico. She didn't like it. "I'm not unpacking your suitcase for you."

"I want you to come down to the ocean with me," Riku grinned. "Selphie and everybody are already down there. There's a live band playing. And hot dogs."

"There are live hot dogs playing…" Yuffie yawned again, shaking her head. "Maybe later, babe. I'm too tired."

"Please? You can sleep on the beach." Riku never hesitated before unleashing the full power of his pout on her. But it wasn't his pout that convinced Yuffie. She knew that in a matter of hours, Riku was going to burn himself out. And then she would have her revenge.

"Fine," she sighed, turning to open the door. Seifer had turned the T.V on, anyway. "Just let me grab my suit."

_Sunday, March 15__th__, 2004. 4:56 PM._

"Selphie, you're a lobster!"

Everyone glanced up as Selphie waddled up from the ocean, bright red and fried looking. Irvine smirked at her, satisfied. The two of them were in an off-again part of their on-again off-again relationship, and earlier than day Selphie had refused to allow Irvine to put suntan lotion on her. She groaned as she flopped herself down on her towel.

"Hey, we match," Reno said cheerfully, resting his bright red head on her bright red back. Selphie squealed in pain and swatted at him until he moved away from her.

"How'd you get so tan?" Yuffie asked Riku suspiciously, sliding her pale arm next to his. They were lying on their stomachs, sharing a towel. Riku was reading _Harry Potter and Order of the Pheonix_, despite the fact that he'd never finished the first book, because Selphie was making him. Yuffie was picking at a plate of fries. "You look tanner than you did this morning."

"Hmm," Riku mumbled thoughtfully, turning a page without looking at her. "Some of us don't have to wear SPF 4000, darling."

"Yeah, and some of us go to salons to tan and get our nails done," Yuffie retorted, miffed. It wasn't her fault she had a pale complexion. That was all her father. "Is Harry dead yet?"

Riku glanced up, startled. "He dies?!"

"Yuffie, shut up!" Selphie lifted her head and grinned. "Don't spoil the ending!"

"Sorry," Yuffie grinned back, not sorry at all.

"Screw that," Riku muttered, flipping through the pages until he'd reached the final chapter.

Yuffie smiled, stretching her arms out as she looked at the ocean. The waves were low, crashing quietly against the sand. The sun would begin to set soon.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Irvine inquired, flipping his sunglasses on to his head.

"We can get in for free at Senor Frogs tonight," Reno replied, the richest of them all and ever the master of social planning.

"Senior whata?"

"Senor Frogs," Reno rolled his eyes. "It's a club, guys. Come on."

"Yeah!" Selphie lifted her head. "We can dance and all get really smashed and watch Seifer get really smashed."

Yuffie tried to look defensive but couldn't quite pull it off. Seifer was famous at their school for being an entertaining drunk. Whether it was a fight or his very own personal rendition of _Stop! In the Name of Love._ Yuffie liked it best after they'd left the party, when Seifer was mumbly and open and cute while they lay in bed. She wouldn't tell the others about that, though.

"I hope he pukes," Riku muttered, but the grin was back when Yuffie shoved his head into the sand.

"I better go find him," she said, getting up. Riku frowned in disappointment but didn't say anything. "I'll see you guys later?"

"Later."

Riku continued to frown at his book while the others looked at each other pointedly and rolled his eyes.

"He so does not die," he mumbled, a few minutes later. "Lying whorebag."


	2. Sunday: Part 2

_"Flipflops from the Dollar Store"_

Hi, guys! Here is Part 2! Yep, part 2, and the characters are still living Sunday up. I'm not sure how long this story is gonna be, if they're gonna make it to the end of the week or not, but we'll see! I've been writing this story at school in the time I have between classes. So. Part 2!

Notes: Keep in mind that Selphie and Yuffie ARE sharing a room, but Yuffie is spending most of her time in Seifer's room because they don't care about the rules. I thought that might be a bit confusing so I added that in here. Also, Sora x Riku is implied in this chapter (they are dating) but there is no slash if you're squicky about slash. Note also that Riku is bisexual.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Sunday, March 15__th__, 2004. 5:11 PM_

The door handle was slick with perspiration when Yuffie tried to open it. She grimaced and wiped her hand on her shorts. With all the air-conditioning, it probably _wasn't _perspiration. It was probably some kind of substance that Yuffie didn't want to think about, especially when she opened the disgusting-substance slick door to find her boyfriend hovering over the toilet.

"Oh, gross," she complained, hovering in the bathroom doorway. Seifer was on his knees, one big arm curved over the toilet seat. Yuffie didn't do puke unless it was her own, and Seifer was supplying lots of it. "Almasy! Groooosss."

Seifer grunted. "Well, shit," he said, his voice wet and dry all at once and gravelly and _eww_. "Close the door if you don't wanna see it."

"I'll still be able to hear you. You puke like a hippo in heat," Yuffie replied smartly. She couldn't handle puke but she could handle things she couldn't handle, so she stepped forward and placed a hand on his back. Apparently, envisioning a hippopotamus in heat was too much for Seifer. "You always get sick when you travel."

"I get sick when you talk about those damn hippos—"

"Did you get puke on the door?"

"I'm gonna get puke on your face if you don't shut up."

Yuffie knew when to pick her battles, and although usually she picked all of them, Seifer was practically pleading her with his eyes. Okay, Seifer was too busy hurling up his stomach to even look at her at all, but Yuffie imagined he would be pleading if he did look her way. Wishful thinking was a side effect of hanging out with Riku and Selphie and Reno. "Okay. I'll get you some water."

Seifer protested, but his words were puke-garbled so Yuffie decided to ignore him.

_Sunday, March 15__th__, 2004. 8:19 PM._

She finally had Seifer stable and sleeping by the time her friends decided to investigate her absence. Re-runs of old soap operas were playing on the television, all Spanish dubbed and sans English subs, and Selphie had called from somebody's room to see if she would join them in figuring out what was going on. Yuffie glanced at Seifer, pale faced and miserable in his sleep.

"Seifer's sick," she explained to Selphie in a low whisper, just in case Seifer could hear her in his sleep, which he often did. "I don't think we're gonna come out tonight."

"Is he puking?"

"Eww." Yuffie heard in the background, unmistakably sing-song, unmistakably Riku. "Seifer's puking?"

Riku, of course, had a stunningly carrying voice. Seifer rolled on to his side to face Yuffie and blinked up at her with dazed green eyes. "Faggot."

Yuffie grinned. "Don't call me a faggot."

"I'm not. I'm calling faggot a faggot."

"I'm talking to Selphie. Don't call anybody a faggot."

"You're a faggot."

Yuffie narrowed her eyes while Selphie waited patiently on the other line. "Hippos."

"Aw, fuck."

Yuffie watched with satisfaction as Seifer rolled off the bed and practically crawled to the washroom. Nobody ever said she didn't have _her_ tough guy whipped. She could make him puke on command. "Anyway," she said, switching the phone to her other ear. "I think we'll just stay here tonight. Maybe he'll feel better tomorrow."

"You can't just come without him?"

At some point, Selphie had handed the phone to Riku, and Riku sounded disappointed. Yuffie frowned and pulled the sheets and blankets over her legs (she didn't need to worry about puke germs because she never got sick), as if this would protect her from him. That she felt guiltier about making Riku upset than she felt guilty about making Seifer puke was something to think about. "Would you leave Sora at home?"

"Heeey. I went to Mexico without him."

"He wasn't sick, though."

"He could be now!"

Yuffie sighed. "We have all week to go clubbing, babe. Why do you need me to come out tonight?"

Riku was apparently stumped by this question. "Because I'll die if you don't come."

"Do you think I'll be charged with first degree murder?"

He laughed. "Maybe second degree. And then you'd be capitally punished and forced to spend the rest of your afterlife with me."

"Hah! You'll be in hell. I'm going to heaven."

"After murdering someone? Yuffie. Please?"

Yuffie rolled on to her stomach, inspecting the fine fabric pulls on the white, white sheets that would probably be off-white by the end of the week. "I don't even wanna go that badly. You'll be grinding against some strip dancer with a pretty face and you won't even notice I'm not there."

"In heaven or the club?"

She rolled her eyes. "Byyye, Riku."

"Is that Spanish for 'I'm going clubbing with all my wonderful friends and Riku, my most wonderful friend'?"

"Byyye, Riku," she said again, and hung up.

_Sunday, March 15__th__, 2004. 10:19 PM_

"You can just go."

Yuffie looked up at Seifer in confusion. He'd given up on sleeping and almost given up on life, he felt so bad. They were sitting out on the balcony where Seifer could get some fresh air. Some fresh, salty, fish-smelling air. "I'm not gonna go. Why would I go?"

Seifer sighed, tilting his head back. At least the ocean wind was cool on his face. "'cause you paid two thousand dollars to go, and my vomit isn't exactly entertaining."

"Oh, I don't know about that—"

"I don't want you to have a bad time," he interrupted her, shoving her head. "And don't even spew that 'I'll have a good time as long as we're together' crap."

"I wasn't going to," Yuffie said defensively. Who did he think she was? "I'm having an awful time and I'm proud of it."

"So go. It would be different if I could even make it down to the beach but…" Seifer shrugged. "I heard you telling Selphie and Super Queer that you didn't want to leave me here. It honestly doesn't make a difference to me."

"That was just an excuse. I actually really hate clubbing."

"So do I. But that's what we're here for."

Yuffie frowned, kicked her flip flop off her foot and then slipped it back on. "I hate it when you use logic on me."

Seifer smirked, even though he'd been puking all night and didn't deserve to smirk. "I know."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to go out, and when I come home you're gonna be grumpy as hell from being sick and yell at me for leaving you here by yourself."

Seifer nodded. "Probably."

Yuffie looked at him and smiled. Sometimes she was amazed that she actually liked someone this much. She wasn't usually a likey-likey person at all. A lot of people questioned why she was with him but, at times like this, she felt lucky. When Seifer liked you, he was amazing, and Yuffie was like number one plus on his like-list. Even higher than his _mom_. "Fine. But only because I know this is your indirect way of telling me that you're embarrassed to be weak around me."

"You tell yourself whatever you damn well please, Kisaragi."

Yuffie stood and reseated herself in his lap. "Kiss first," she demanded.

Seifer scowled, averting his head. "I just puked."

"Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yeah."

"Really well?"

"Obviously."

"Well, then."

Seifer eyes moved to the dark sky as he considered. Yuffie grinned at him, knowing she'd already won, and wrapped her arms around Seifer's neck in a vice like grip as he dove down and took her lips.

_Sunday, March 15__th__, 2004. 10:30 PM_

"Yuffie!" Selphie exclaimed in surprise, throwing open her door. She was dressed in a tiny little slip dress with leggings and wearing gold heels, her hair pulled back into a messy bun. "I thought Seifer was sick!"

"He is but I decided to come anyway!" Yuffie declared, happily taking Selphie's hands. "You look pretty!"

"You almost missed us, we were just about to leave!" Selphie lead Yuffie into the room by the hand as if she couldn't find her own way. Reno and Irvine were lying together on one of the beds, staring at the television with dumb boy expressions, but they looked nice, too. Irvine had on dark jeans and a cowboy shirt, Reno probably in brands that Yuffie couldn't name.

"Are you coming with us afterall?" Reno said, tearing his eyes away from the television to grin with her. "I said it wouldn't be a party without you. Didn't I say that, Irvine?"

"You sure did, Reno." Irvine replied. He was either very entranced with what was on the television or he was avoiding looking at someone. Yuffie suspected, with Selphie looking so hot, that it was the latter.

"Where's Riku?" Yuffie asked, glancing to see if the bathroom door was shut and seeing that it wasn't. She had expected to be thoroughly loved (attacked) by him as soon as she stepped into the room, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"On the balcony," Selphie said, releasing her hand. "I'm just gonna throw some mascara on and then we can leave, okay?"

"I wanted to leave half-an-hour ago," Irvine muttered, uncharacteristically sullen.

Yuffie giggled to herself as she approached the balcony door, pushing back the curtain so that she could get at the handle. When she slid open the door, it was to be greeted by the sight of Riku's butt in her favourite jeans of his. She might have taken the time to innocently admire this had Riku not been bent over the railing. "What are you doing?" she asked dully. With Riku, sometimes it was dangerous to ask.

"I'm seeing what it feels like to fly," he replied, and when she moved closer to inspect his upper half, she saw that his arms were outstretched like a bird as he dangled. "Or, what it would look like to fly."

"Um, or to fall," she said, yanking the back of his shirt. "Stop it, Riku. I'm not gonna be the one to clean up your guts. You're such a weirdo!"

Riku straightened with a grin, straighte_ning_ his white Lacoste shirt as he did so. Riku, like Reno, was fond of wearing brands, but at least they were brands that Yuffie could recognize. "Are you coming after all?"

"Yep," Yuffie smiled. "I wanted to see you in those jeans."

"Ah, the jeans." Riku grinned. They were stonewashed and frayed, with holes in the knees designed to look cool. "They make my ass look so nice. I had to wear them."

Yuffie nodded in complete agreement. "You did."

"But you're not wearing that, are you?" Riku said, taking in her clothes with a look that was not quite snobbish, but nearly as offensive to Yuffie.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" she demanded, glancing down at her tank top and shorts. It showed off her legs nicely and made her boobs look bigger than they were! Not that she cared about that, but it wouldn't kill Riku to _notice_. "I'm not changing."

"You guys ready?" Selphie, freshly mascara'd, had poked her head out the balcony doorway. "We're gonna head down to the bus now."

"Selphie," Riku said, breaking his glare stare with Yuffie to look at Selphie imploringly. "Tell Yuffie she can't go to the club dressed like that."

Selphie blinked. "Why not?"

"Hah!" Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Riku. "See?"

"But half the fun is dressing up…you're gonna feel like a retard once you get there." Riku frowned, like he was really concerned for Yuffie's feelings, and didn't actually just want to force Yuffie to do something she didn't want to do.

"I don't care about looking like a retard." Yuffie declared. "I'm going in shorts or I'm not going at all."

"I think Riku just wants to see you in a skirt," Selphie teased, disappearing back into the room. Riku nodded.

"It's true," he said. "But jeans and a nice top would work, too. I could deal with that."

"I'm sure you could." Yuffie said sourly. "I'm not wearing a skirt."

"Jeans?" Riku pleaded, smiling all cute. Yuffie just…she just hated him sometimes.

"Jeans," she conceded, blinking lights and spots and Riku's grin out of her head as she turned for the door. "No makeup!"

"No makeup," Riku agreed, following her through the curtain and shuting the door behind him. "You're pretty without it."

Yuffie was startled at the unexpected compliment, and she bent over her suitcase to hide her flush of surprise. She didn't want anyone to take it for something it wasn't. Selphie knelt down beside her and helped her root through the clothes for something nice, but her eyes were on Yuffie's face.

"Blushing?" she hissed, thrilled.

"Shut up and lend me your black halter top," Yuffie hissed back, pulling out one pair of jeans or another. "At least I'm not dressed to make someone jealous."

"You don't need to make anyone jealous." Selphie pointed out, giggling. She went to her own suitcase and rummaged for the pretty black top. "Anyway, shhh. That's a secret."

"Right," Yuffie laughed, straightening with the clothes in hand. "Because it's not totally obvious."

Selphie winked and stood, pulling her dress down a little. The skin between her dress and leggings was bright red from the sun. "Irvine, can I borrow thirty of your pesos? I don't have any change."

Yuffie changed quickly in the bathroom, listening to Selphie and Irvine squabble as she struggled with the black shirt, her arms too short to tie the back properly. "Riku!" she yelled, stomping her foot. He appeared in the doorway moments later, and she watched in the mirror as he looked her over. He kept shifting his weight and frowning. "What, it doesn't look good?"

"No," Riku said, stepping forward. His voice was weird. "It looks great."

"So…" Yuffie met his eyes in the mirror. Riku took in their reflections, and he must have realized how open his face was because he grinned suddenly and wrapped both his arms around her waist.

"You look so cute," he exclaimed, squeezing tightly. "I might eat you."

"First degree murder," she reminded him. "Stooop. My top is gonna fall off."

"Oooh," Riku intoned like a pervert, but he moved back to help her with the shirt. It tied around the back of her neck, and his fingers tickled the skin there. "There," he said finally.

Yuffie leaned into him without meaning to, but it was comfortable once she got there, so she stayed. "You smell good."

"Do I?" Riku's smile flickered. He was pleased. "I'm not wearing anything but deodorant."

"You always have a good smell," she replied. It was something she'd noticed a long time ago when she'd started borrowing his hats and sweatshirts, when she'd been just old enough to even notice or care about boy smells. "If you fart to ruin the moment, I'll kill you."

"You've been hanging out with your boyfriend too much. I don't fart in public," Riku teased, which was a total lie, and they both knew it. "You ready to dance?"

Yuffie paused to think of Seifer, face pressed to the bathroom floor and feeling so sick. Then Riku hugged her normally and the collar of his shirt brushed her cheek, and Yuffie remembered that he'd told her to have a good time.

"Yep," she said, tugging on his arm. "Let's go."


End file.
